ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office says surveillance video contradicts a mother’s claim about her son being injured during an attack on his school bus.
In a statement sent to News4JAX on Wednesday, the sheriff’s office said video footage of the incident involving Wards Creek Elementary School students showed there was “no evidence of intent to cause harm or injury” and that the students were “engaged in mutual horseplay.”
The sheriff’s office statement came after Ashleigh Sargent shared with News4JAX on Monday that her son told her he was sitting on the bus talking to friends when someone slammed a backpack down on his head twice.
Sargent said that her son was holding paper towels to his head with blood running down the side of his face when she went up to meet him at the bus.
The mother said the school resource officer and St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office visited Sargent’s home the same day, and added that she had made it clear that she wanted to press charges. However, she said she never received a follow-up about the next steps.
On Tuesday, Sargent told News4JAX she was preparing to sue the school district after expressing frustration over how officials handled what she called an attack on her son’s school bus.
After reviewing the incident, the sheriff’s office said it found no crime had been committed. The agency also said deputies contacted Sargent to show her the video and discuss the findings, but she did not meet with them.
News4JAX reached out to Sargent on Thursday about the Sheriff’s Office statement, but she did not respond to requests for comment.
Read SJSO’s full statement below:
On October 16, 2025, SJSO deputies responded to an altercation that occurred on a school bus with Wards Creek Elementary School students on board. Review of the bus’ video footage shows students engaged in mutual horseplay - one of the students was hit in the head with an empty backpack which caused a small laceration to his head. SJSO in coordination with the State Attorney’s Office determined there was no evidence of intent to cause harm or injury and therefore no crime was committed. Deputies contacted the mother of the student who received the minor injury to show her the video and discuss the findings, but she failed to meet with them.
Spokesperson with the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office
Paul Abbatinozzi, Chief of Staff for St. Johns County Schools, told News4JAX he became aware of the situation over the weekend and contacted Sargent on Monday.
“We certainly don’t condone or accept behavior of that nature, whether it’s in the classroom or on our buses,” Abbatinozzi said. “I’ve said repeatedly to folks that our buses are extensions of the classroom.”
Sargent previously told News4JAX she learned the student she said attacked her son received a five-day suspension. She said that she plans to hire a lawyer.
Abbatinozzi declined to share specific details about the punishment but confirmed the incident was treated as a level four infraction under the district’s code of conduct.
According to the St. Johns County student code of conduct, disciplinary action for a level four infraction can include, and is not limited to, a mandatory out-of-school suspension of up to 10 days.
News4JAX also reached out to the school district for comment on Thursday after the Sheriff’s Office released its statement. We also asked if we could get a copy of the school bus surveillance video.
A spokesperson sent this response:
“We have no additional statement and have already conducted interviews on this incident. We are not releasing video due to FERPA.”
FERPA is the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, which helps protect the privacy of parents and students.
News4JAX received a statement from Sargent. She continued to be critical of the district and sheriff’s office and said she is hiring an attorney.
The statement said in part: “Our students, teachers, bus drivers, and staff members deserve to be safe and it is the responsibility of the school district to ensure that. Do your jobs.”